A freedom group which posts live videos on Facebook has been fooled by a viral spoof skit which it claimed showed thieves running riot in a chicken shop.
The group posts regular videos called Australia World News Live on the Stop the Rot Sack the Lot page.
But in a bid to warn viewers about the supposed dire state of food shortages in western countries, it inadvertently posted a video (screenshot here) of a TikTok prank.
The TikTok video features two people wearing bright yellow and orange balaclavas walking around a chicken shop, stealing food from diners’ tables.
They then leave the store while munching on the stolen chicken.
The caption on the video reads: “They just robbed the chicken spot for food”.
“You would’ve never had thought you’d see this in a western world,” one of the presenters says (video mark 7min 28sec), after having warned of impending cash, fuel and food shortages.
AAP FactCheck tracked down the original TikTok video to a user called J.Massiah90, a comedian on social media who regularly posts video pranks.
He has posted similar pranks that have gone viral, see here, here and here.
After his original TikTok account was deleted, he made a secondary account called J-Massiah and reposted the video.
J-Massiah confirmed to AAP FactCheck in an Instagram message that the video was a prank.
The video has been reposted on multiple platforms, including US rapper Snoop Dogg‘s Facebook page and the World Star Hip Hop website.
The restaurant in the video, Flamin’ Chicken & Pizza, located in Brooklyn, New York, told AAP FactCheck in a phone interview that the video was a prank and workers in the store granted the comedian permission to film the stunt.
The Stop the Rot Sack the Lot videos cover a range of topics including COVID-19, claims about the “deep state” and other general conspiracy theories.
The video in question also includes claims Walmart stores in the US were turned into prison camps.
The Verdict
The claim a TikTok video shows people stealing chicken from diners at a fast food outlet due to food shortages in western nations is false.
The video was an online prank. The video’s creator and the chicken shop in which it was shot both confirmed to AAP FactCheck that the incident was staged.
False – The claim is inaccurate.
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